The Hands-Up Problem and How to Deal with It: Secondary School Teachers' Experiences of Debugging in the Classroom
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| Title: | The Hands-Up Problem and How to Deal with It: Secondary School Teachers' Experiences of Debugging in the Classroom |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Laurie Gale (ORCID |
| Source: | Informatics in Education. 2026 25(1):109-136. |
| Availability: | Vilnius University Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. Akademjos str. 4, Vilnius LT 08663 Lithuania. Tel: +37-5-21-09300; Fax: +37-5-27-29209; e-mail: info@mii.vu.lt; Web site: https://infedu.vu.lt/journal/INFEDU |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 28 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Troubleshooting, Programming, Computer Science Education, Secondary School Teachers, Teaching Experience, Teacher Attitudes, Barriers, Classroom Environment |
| Geographic Terms: | United Kingdom (England) |
| ISSN: | 1648-5831 2335-8971 |
| Abstract: | Debugging is a vital but challenging skill for beginner programmers to learn. It is also a difficult skill to teach. For secondary school teachers, who may lack time or programming experience, honing students' understanding of debugging can be a daunting task. Despite this, little research has explored their perspectives of debugging. To this end, we investigated secondary teachers' experiences of debugging in the classroom, with a focus on text-based programming. Through thematic analysis of nine semi-structured interviews, we identified a common reliance on the teacher for debugging support, embodied by many raised hands. We call this phenomenon the 'hands-up problem'. While more experienced and confident teachers discussed strategies they use to counteract this, less confident teachers discussed the negative consequences of this problem. We recommend further research into debugging-specific pedagogical content knowledge and professional development to help less confident teachers develop approaches for supporting their students with debugging. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1506509 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Debugging is a vital but challenging skill for beginner programmers to learn. It is also a difficult skill to teach. For secondary school teachers, who may lack time or programming experience, honing students' understanding of debugging can be a daunting task. Despite this, little research has explored their perspectives of debugging. To this end, we investigated secondary teachers' experiences of debugging in the classroom, with a focus on text-based programming. Through thematic analysis of nine semi-structured interviews, we identified a common reliance on the teacher for debugging support, embodied by many raised hands. We call this phenomenon the 'hands-up problem'. While more experienced and confident teachers discussed strategies they use to counteract this, less confident teachers discussed the negative consequences of this problem. We recommend further research into debugging-specific pedagogical content knowledge and professional development to help less confident teachers develop approaches for supporting their students with debugging. |
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| ISSN: | 1648-5831 2335-8971 |
